Houston Astros Player Under Fire for Racist Gesture

Gurriel is set to meet with Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred before Game 4 in Houston on Saturday night to see if any type of discipline is warranted.

Gurriel was filmed making the gesture in the dugout after hitting a home run off Darvish during the Astros' victory on Friday.

The Cuban-born Gurriel apologized for the gesture and remark after the game on Friday, insisting through a translator that he "didn't mean to offend" Darvish, and pointing out that he has "great respect" for Japanese players since he played in Japan earlier in his career. "[And] I was impressed in my conversation with Yu Darvish by his desire to move forward, and I felt that moving the suspension to the beginning of the season would help in that regard". "I played in Japan". "I was commenting that I did not have any good luck against Japanese pitchers in the United States".

As part of the punishment, Gurriel will undergo sensitivity training during the offseason while the Astros, in a gesture of support, have agreed to donate Gurriel's salary for the five games to charitable causes.

Gurriel said the derogatory term is used commonly in Cuba to refer to Asian people.

"There is no place in our game for the behavior or any behavior like the behavior we witnessed last night", Manfred told a news conference before Saturday's Game Four in Houston.

"The two (games ban) that is the standard that had evolved over two or three situations was inadequate", Manfred said.

Gurriel will not miss any of the best-of-seven series, which is tied at 2-2.

Gurriel will be put on the restricted list next season, meaning the Astros can replace him and play with a 25-man roster.

Gurriel, who spent time playing with the Yokohama DeNA Baystars of Japan before signing on with Houston in July 2016, said he never meant to offend Darvish.

"Nobody's ideal and everybody is different and then. we just. have to learn from it", he said. "I would also like to apologize to the Dodgers organization, the Astros, Major League Baseball and to all fans across the game", he said.